Digest...

By is very definition; the idea of “Semantic” is to find meaning and or intent in someone’s words. But as of today through knowledge graphs, socially validated search and modified SEO, most of the intent is to bring clarity as to what is being searched for today.

This same type of ability to extract meaning from search could also be a powerful tools for marketers to better understand what a consumer may intend to do. The question comes down to how marketers can collect, sort and utilize this to connect with a consumer at the exact right time to drive an inevitable purchase their way.

The web is smarter, but mostly because we incessantly use tools that allow data to extract meaning. For consumers that leads to some better content to be driven our way, but for marketers this is a goldmine for understanding current behavior and how that may lead to a purchase in the near future.

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Ad spending by the 100 largest B2B advertisers grew by 3.4% year-over-year in 2013 to an estimated $4.9 billion, according to Ad Age DataCenter’s analysis of Kantar Media measured media spending data. Broadcast and cable TV combined to account for a leading 56% of that spending, up by 3% from 2012. Not surprisingly, spending on internet display ads grew most quickly, by 25.3%. The only other medium to see an increase among the top 100 was outdoor (+2.4%), with magazine spending relatively flat (-0.3%), newspaper spend down by 9.4% and radio spend declining by 13.7%. Meanwhile, spending by B2B advertisers outside the top 100 dipped by 0.5% to $10.2 billion.

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Excerpt...

Business spending has seen “modest growth” over the last few years, reports Epsilon in its 2014 Multichannel Trend Report [download page], with spending increasing by 3% since 2011. But online product sales are increasing more rapidly, up by almost 8% between 2011 and 2013; online sales (versus mail order/call center) have grown to represent roughly 65% of all sales last year, representing close to a 5% point increase in share from 2011. The study also identifies the industries and categories seeing the biggest increases in spend.

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Digest...

1. Social Media Marketing

The bad news is the whole world of social media marketing has tended to focus more on quantity than quality. Many people who market themselves as social media experts or specialists do little more than put up pages and purchase likes or followers from people who only signed up because they were promised a reward. These followers may have little real interest in your business. Building a real social media following takes quite a bit of time and effort. It should be part of your overall marketing and brand-building strategy. It should not be thought of as a quick and cheap substitute.

2. Mobile Marketing

This is crucial so that you don’t get swept away by the idea that mobile devices and mobile advertising are the absolute future of online marketing. While it’s useful to have a responsive website that can be viewed equally well on all devices, don’t put all of your efforts into a mobile website. Similarly, it’s not safe to assume that all of your website visitors will soon be using mobile devices. At least for the foreseeable future, users on devices of all shapes and sizes will be checking out your website.

3. Cloud Computing

Beware of the security risks in putting all of your data into a cloud-based service. No matter what security measures are taken, common sense indicates more opportunities for data to be compromised exist on the Internet rather than on your own personal storage system.

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Heinz Marketing and OnTarget Consulting and Research conducted the 2014 Marketing Automation Performance and Effectiveness Survey.

Intermediate/ Excerpt...

Survey Snapshots

• 75% report their effectiveness with MA increased over the previous year.
• Biggest increase in effectiveness occurs in between 2-5 years of usage.
• 75% of respondents who’s companies had been using marketing automation for over five years reported that they were very important to their company’s sales and marketing efforts.
• Over 75% of respondents reported that the importance of MAS tools to their company’s success had increased over the past year.
• 95% of respondents using MA less than 2 years reported importance increased over the past year.

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Infographic: Top Trends That Will Shape Digital Marketing by Douglas Karr on Marketing Technology Blog

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Customer experience represents the single most exciting opportunity for businesses this year, according to our 2014 Digital Trends Briefing.

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Act-On shares key insights from a new Forrester Report about how top-performing marketers use marketing automation for highly effective lead generation.

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Advanced/ Excerpt...

So how do you get off those rocks and get ready to roll in 2014? Our recent report, “Predictions 2014: B2B CMOs Will Juggle Data, Brand, And Organizational Investments,” provides a prescription for three key initiatives that B2B CMOs must follow to prosper in today’s age of the customer:

• Base 2014 strategies and plans on a strong data foundation.B2B CMOs must base product, messaging, and marketing execution decisions on data insights. Gut feelings, instinct, or “we’ve always done it this way” won’t cut it any longer.
• Redefine B2B as “business-to-buyer.”With easy access to information, empowered buyers have taken control of their entire buying journey. In 2104, B2B CMOs must shift their focus from targeting companies to speaking directly to these buyers as individuals across all touchpoints and channels in the buyers’ journey.
• Organize marketing around the customer. To respond to customers’ 2014 needs quickly and effectively, CMOs must replace their traditional channel-based marketing organization with a customer-defined, interconnected team model. Take Forrester’s marketing technology skill assessment to identify the team skills you need to develop.

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